Liquid wax applicator



Sept. 22, 1959 v R. E. LEE 2,904,812

LIQUID WAX APPLICATOR Filed Nov. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mmvroa' P015527 5. Lee

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W ole/HEY Sept. 22, 1959 'R. E. LEE 2,904,312

LIQUID WAX APPLICATOR Filed Nov. 6, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. P055127 E. LEE

MfMM MJ ATTORNEY United States Patent LIQUID WAX APPLICATOR Robert E. Lee, North Olmstead, Ohio Application November 6, 1957, Serial No. 694,806

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-138) This invention relates to floor cleaning and polishing devices, and particularly to a liquid wax applicator for waxing floors, a

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device for simultaneously dispensing and spreading liquid wax on to a floor.

Another object is to provide a device of the type stated whose handle functions as a reservoir for the liquid being dispensed.

Another object is to provide a device wherein the flow of liquid is positively controlled by a simple twist of the handle.

-'Still another object is to provide a device of the type stated, whose component parts may be easily assembled or disassembled for cleaning without the use of any tools; the parts being merely pressed or twisted together.

Another object is to provide a device whose dispensing head may be swiveled into the plane of the handle, for storage, so that the device may be hung flat against a vertical wall surface.

Further objects are to provide such a device that is rugged in construction, reliable in action, and economical to manufacture.

' These, and other objects of the invention will become apparent. from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the 'accompan'yingdrawings, wherein like parts are indicated and identified by like reference characters, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the liquid applicator that is the subject of this invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the applicator head;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the valve head and stem;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the valve assembly taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 55 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the backing plate;

Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the applicator head with the backing plate removed.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, there is seen the liquid applicator that is the subject of this invention, broadly indicated by reference numeral 20.

The device may be fabricated from any suitable noncorrosive material, but is preferably made of one of the many plastic materials, readily available, for the sake of lightness, dimensional stability, pleasing appearance, and ease of manufacture on a mass production basis.

Reference numeral 25 indicates a hollow head having an open bottom bounded by a dependent rim 43, as seen in Figures 1 and 7. A plurality of dependent pegs 41 are spaced inwardly of the rim edge 43.

Reference numeral 26 indicates a backing plate having a central opening 45 and an upstanding collar 42. The lower face of the plate 26 is covered with an absorbent 2,904,812 Patented Sept. 22, 1959 ICC pad 44 having an opening at the backing plate opening 45.

The backing plate 26 is attached to, and covers the bottom opening of the head 25 by means of the collar 42 which is of a size and shape to interfit the head rim 43 between the inside face of the rim and the pegs 41 which hold it in locked engagement.

A neck 49 having a hollow body portion with a solid .plug 31 cemented immovably therein is swivelly mounted in the bearing block 48 of the hollow head 25, as is seen most clearly in Figure 2. It is of course to be understood that the plug 31 could be formed integral with the neck 49, instead of being a separate element, if desired. The neck also has an open throat 27 which extends rearwardly and upwardly at an angle to the body portion thereof.

The plug 31 has a valve seat 36 faced toward the open throat 27; a valve stem bore centered in said seat; and.

an eccentrically located fluid conducting duct or bore 32 extending between the valve seat 36 and the interior of the hollow head, with the outlet end thereof positioned over the opening 45 of the backing plate 26 and pad 44, as seen in Figures 2 and 5.

A valve, having a head 35 and a stem 37 is mounted in the valve stem'bore of the plug 31. The valve head 35 has a sealing gasket 33 cemented to its inner face. A fluid conducting bore or orifice 34 extends through both the valve head 35 and gasket 33. The eccentric bore 34 is located so that it may be moved in and out of alignment with the eccentric bore 32 of the plug 31 upon the swivelling of the neck 49.

The valve stem 37 has a hole 38 positioned cross-wise the end thereof through which an anchor rod 40 is inserted. The ends of the rod 40 bear against the inside of the head 25, as illustrated in Figure 3, and lock the valve stem 37 and attached head 35 against rotation relative the neck 49 and valve seat 36. A washer 46 surrounds the stem 37 immediately behind the valve seat 36 and acts to seal off fluid leakage along the valve stem.

The valve head 35 is biased against the valve seat 36 by a coil spring 39 which is positioned over the valve stem between the inner end of the plug 31 and the lock rod 40.

A tubular handle 21, preferably made of transparent plastic, so that the level of the liquid contained therein may be easily observed, is mounted in the open throat 27 in a twist fit, so that it may be easily attached thereto or removed therefrom. The handle 21 is shown as being made in two sections joined through a slip-fit joint 22 at the center, for the sake of convenience in packaging, although it might be made as a single length of tubing if desired. The upper end of the handle 21 is closed by a cap 23 having an air vent 24 therein which may be twisted in or out of alignment with a similar vent in the end of the handle tube, to prevent air-lock when the device is being used and to prevent evaporation of the contained liquid when it is not in use.

In using the device, the head 25 is placed upon the floor and the neck pointer 28 is aligned with the off point 29 engraved on the head, as seen in Figure 1. In this position the fluid bore 32 of the valve seat 36 is out of alignment with the fluid bore 34 of the valve head 35. The cap 23 is removed from the handle-reservoir 21 and the handle is filled with liquid wax. The cap 23 is then replaced, with the air vent 24 in its open position. With the pad 44 resting on the floor, the handle 21 is tilted to the right, looking at Figure 1, thereby swivelling the neck 49 in the bearing block 48 of the head 25 until the pointer 28 is aligned With the on point 30. In this position the bore 32 is aligned with the valve head bore 34 and liquid wax from the handle-reservoir 21 is free to pass through the aligned bores 32 and 34 into the head 25 and,

out the opening 45 on to the floor. At the same time the liquid wax is picked by the absorbent pad 44 and distributed by it as the device is moved along by pushing on the handle 21. When enough liquid for a given area has been discharged the flow is automatically out oil by merely twisting the neck 49, by means for the handle 21, back to its original position wherein the pointer 28 is aligned with the OE point 29. The wax can then be spread out in a thin film by running the pad 44 back and forth on it a few times.

Additional liquid may be released, as required, by merely twisting the neck 49'between the on and ofi positions. Since the liquid is contained in the handle, from which it can instantly be released, there is no wasteful or sloppy application such as occurs when the liquid must be applied from a separate container and then spread out by a mop or pad.

It will be evident, that as the neck 49 is swiveled either to the right or left of the on position the flowtof liquid will be automatically cut oii. Thus the handle 21 may be tilted sharply toward the floor to enable the device to pass under furniture, when necessary. Similarly, the head 25 may be tilted until the backing plate 26 and pad 44 are in the plane of the handle 21, so that the device can be suspended fiat against the wall, by means of a hook, for storage. Again, in this position, the flow of liquid is out off, since the several fluid conducting bores are out of alignment. During storage, the cap 24 is twisted to its closed position, thereby enabling the liquid to be stored in the handle 21, safe against evaporation.

The device just described is easy to service and keep clean since the snap-on-and-oif feature of its backing plate 26 permits the interior of the head 25 to be easily reached for cleaning, while at the same time the pad may be separately washed in a suitable solvent.

While the device has been described as an applicator for liquid wax, it should be understood that it may be used to apply any type of liquid, to floors or other substantially horizontal surfaces.

The invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, but it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof, as described and illustrated herein is not to be considered in a limited sense as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims."

I claim:

an opening therethrough, a neck comprising a hollow body portion swivelly mounted in said head and including an open throat extending rearwardly at an angle to the body portion, a solid plug mounted in the body portion having a valve seat faced toward the open throat, an

I axial'valve'stem bore therethrough and a separate eccentrically positioned liquid conducting bore leading from the valve seat to the interior of the hollow head, a valve head including a stem mounted in said axial bore, said valve head being spring biased into contact with the valve seatand having an eccentric bore therethrough, alignable with the'eccentric bore of the valve seat, means for preventing rotation of said valve stem and valve head relative to said hollow head, and, a tubular handle mounted in the neck throat and adapted to function as a liquid reservoir, the neck being swivelable in the hollow head, by the-attached handle, between a first position, wherein the eccentric bores of the valve head and neck plug are out of alignment, and a second position, wherein the said boresare aligned to allow flow of liquid from the hollow handle into the hollow head and out the backing plate opening.

2. A device of the type defined in claim 1 and further characterized by the hollow head having a dependent rim bounding its bottom opening and a plurality of depend ent pegs spaced inwardly of said rim, and, the backing plate having an upstanding collar of a shape adapted to fit within said head rim between the rim and the pegs, to engage same in locked attachment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,776 Waltz May 8, 1951 2,601,689 Mallard July 1, 1952 2,636,204 S'oss Apr. 28, 1953 

